Lamp-shade holder.



W. KNAPP.

L AMP SHADE HOLDER.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1917'- I 1,251,061. Patented Dec. 25, 1917..

2 SHEETSSHEET I- W. KNAPP.

LAMP SHADE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1917.

1,25 1 ,05 1 Patented Dec. 25; 1912:

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron WILLIAM mien, or Bar ows, es is'res new rear LAMP-COMPANY, w or Ya ae nrerem a or Lens-seem normss e fi igirrri i ts t- Patented D e; 2.5, 191?,

Application filed July 28, 1917. Serial No. 183,208,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KNAPP, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Bayonne, Hudson county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and use.- ful Improvements in Lamp-Shade Holders, of which the following a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in shade-holders for electric-light sockets, the invention being designed to perform several functions incidental to the support of a shade, one of said functions being to suspend the shade from the socket by thimble, carrying devices to engage the crown of the socket. Special means are provided to cause the socket-crown engaging devices to grip the socket, not by springpressure, but by a positive pressure exerted by threaded mem-. bers. My improved holder not only is arranged to support a shade, but also to prevent the separation of the socket members, which frequently happens owing to the strain imposed thereupon by the constant turning off or on of the electric current. One of the advantages of my improved shade-holder is that it firmly supports the shade, that is to say, it supports the shade in a manner that prevents any great amount of side lash' or movement longitudinally of the socket.

An advantageous feature of my improved shade-holdingdev1ce Is that it can be applied either to a key or to a pull-chain socket. Other points of improvement will hereinafter appear. 7

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which ll will point out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein-r Figure 1 illustrates my improved shadeholder as appliedto a socket, only a portion of a shadebeing indicated.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 illustrates the device as arranged to coiiperate with a ceiling-socket, the crown of which is inaccessible;

Fig. i is a detail perspective view of a modified form of finger;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a socket engaged by a plurality of such fingers;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of V the thimbleemember 'otmyimproved device Fig. 7 illustrates the device arranged to support a bowl in combination with the Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views illustrating the steps to assemble-the device for use; and Figsg ll and LZare detail yiews of modifications of my inyention.

As herein illustrated, my improved-shadeholder comprises a thimble 11 arranged to be 1nsertedi-intothe opening 12 in theneck of a shade 13,said thi'mble being provided with a flange 'l thaving openings 15 (Fig.6);- The thnnblell is also provided withopen ings '16 for the free passage of threaded spindles 17 (Fig. 1) to engage threaded openings 18 in'the fingers 19." In this instance, I have illustrated three of such fingers. but more may be utilized it desirable. Each finger 19 isbe'ntinwardly, as at 20, to overlap the crown portion 21 of the socket 22. Eachfinger 19 carries a pin 23* to be engaged by a retaining ring 24 when the device is assembled or applied to a socket.

The socket illustrates the standard socket, whether of the key or pull-chaintype. In this instance, the socket -22 is of the'key type, .consistingof the s'eparably connected members 23 and 24 secured together by yield; able latches 25 011 the member 23 which engage openings 26 in the coiiperating socketmember 24; This type of socket is wellknown, and it is also-well-known that the members 23 and 24 often become separated by ar, especially w'hen'supportinga copiparatively heavy shade, or by the strain im- 4 advantage of my improvement is that it is adapted for application to either a key or pull-socket, for the reason that the fingers 19 are separated sufficiently to permit of the passage of the key 27, or a pull-chain "between' two of the said fingers, as shown in Fig. 2. I

"lhe-thimble 11 is made to nearly cornpletelyfill the opening 12 in the neck of the shade; and hence theshade cannot be moved sidewisesuiiiciently to bepulled ofi' thegflange 1}]: upon which it rests. The distance between the upper face of the flange 14 and under surface of the spindles 17 will be'but slightly more than the depth of the neck iii? longitudinally of the socket will be reduced to a minimum. 7

The means for locking the thimble 11 and socket 22 together consists mainly of the threaded spindles 17 which, when they are screwed home, impinge upon said socket. Thus the weight of the shade 13 will be imposed upon the lower socket-member 24. As each finger 19 is engaged by the spindle 17 at its lower end and bears against'the crown 21 of the socket at its opposite end, the socketmembers 23 and 24 will be tied'together, or in other words, prevented from becoming separated. The socket-members 23 and 24 cannot be pulled apart as long as the fingers 19 bear against the crown-portion 21-. This is believed to be quite obvious.

To prevent the fingers from moving sidewise after assemblage, I provide each finger with a pin 23 over which the ring 24 is passed after the spindles 17 have been screwed home. The ring 24* will prevent the upper end of each finger 19'from slipping sidewise to an extent that would cause it to become loose. Instead of providing the pins 23 I may provide the upper end of each finger with a recessed head 29 arranged to bear against the nipple 30 of the socket, the said nipple 3O fittin into the recess of each head 29 (see Fig. 5%. WVhen provided with this form of head the fingers will not slip sidewise.

Should it be desirable to employ a bowl in combination with a shade, suspending chains 31 will be hooked into the openings 15 in the flange 14 of the thimble 11, the bowl (indicated by 32, Fig. 7) being suspended from the chains 31.

Should I desire to attach a shade to a ceiling-socket (indicated by 33, Fig. 3), the crown of which is incased within a shield 34, I dispense with the fingers 19 and employ jam or lock-nuts 35 (Fig. 3) to firmly hold the spindles 17 when screwed home.

When the device is arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1, the fingers 19 act as jam-nuts or locking-members for the spindles 17 When the device is arranged as illustrated in Fig. 3, the nuts 35 are substituted, but perform the same function of locking the spindles.

The thimble 11 is preferably made of thin material so that it will yield when the spindles are screwed home, thereby preventing them from being screwed up tight enough to strip the threads or'injure the socket. In other words, when the spindles are screwed home, the thimble will yield outwardl v,"at the point of applicationof pressure, which acts to force the thimble, at three points, in this instance against the neck of the shade. (See dotted lines Fig. 2). I do not depend upon the resiliency of the thimble 11 to aid in supporting the shade, that is to say, to any spring action 'due to expanding the thimble. I 7

To assemble the device, the thimble 11 will be placed in the neck of the shade as indicated in Fig. 8, after which the spindles will be-passed through the openings 16 and screwed into the threaded openings "18 in the fingers 19, as shown in Fig. 9. After the above operations have been performed, the socket will be inserted between the fin-v gers, as shown in Fig. 10, whereupon the threaded spindles 17 will be screwed inwardly against the socket. The action of screwing the spindles inwardly will cause the fingers to close in at their upper ends and bear against the crown 21 of the socket, after which the ring 24* can be applied. The device will now be completely assembled.

Instead of providing a ring such as 24 to hold the fingers 19, I may employ a ring of the form shown in Fig. 11, in which 36 indicates a ring having pins 23 which project upwardly to enter holes 20" in the ends 20 of the fingers 19 The pins 23 and fingers 19 will be caused to engage before the said fingers are finally positioned and the threaded spindles 17 are screwed home.

Fig. 12 illustrates a shade-holder and socket engaging fingers made in one piece, the same being indicated by the numeral 37. In this form the shade-holder consists of a turned over end 37 of a strip 37 the upper end being bent'inwardly as at 39 to engage the crown of the socket 22, 40 indicating a threaded spindle which serves the same purpose as the spindles 17.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A shade-holder, consisting of a thimble arranged for insertion into the opening in the neck of a shade, threaded spindles pass ing through'said thimble to engage an electric socket, and means carried by the thimble to engage the crown of an electric socket. V

2. 'A shade-holder, consisting of athimble arranged for insertion into the opening in theneck of a shade, threaded spindles pass ing through said thimble to engage an elecbeing provided with openings to receive supporting elements for a bowl or the like, adjusting spindles carried'by the thimble to engage an electric socket, and locking ele-' ments carried by the spindles. L

of, fingers also carried by the support, said fingers being bent inwardly at their upper ends to engage the crown of an electricsocket, and means to prevent sidewise movement of said fingers after the same have been caused to engage the crown of said socket.

7. A shade-holder consisting of a cylindrical thimble adapted for insertion into the opening in the neck of a shade, threaded spindles adapted to bear against an electricsocket and also to expand the thimble to cause the latter to bear against the neck of a shade, and a finger carried by each spindle adapted to bear against the crown of a socket.

8. The combination of a plurality of fingers arranged for disposition longitudinally of an electric socket, said fingers at their upper ends being bent inwardly and adapted to bear against the top surface of the crown of said socket, a shade-supporting medium located at the opposite end of the fingers, and pressure exerting means associated with -the said fingers and shade-supporting medium to secure said fingers in contact with the upper portion of the crown.

Signed at New York city, N. Y. this 24 day of July, 1917.

WILLIAM KNAPP. l/Vitnesses EDWARD A. JARVIS, MAURICE BLOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

